Bolivia and UNOPS launch technical groups for prison reform

The Bolivian government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) have launched technical working groups to develop a comprehensive plan for reforming the country's prison system. The initiative, coordinated with the Ministry of Government and the General Directorate of Penitentiary Regime, focuses on infrastructure, procurement, project management, and the implementation of international standards such as the Mandela Rules.

Nicholas Gardner, Director of the UNOPS Andean Office, stated that addressing the country's prison precariety requires a complex strategy that extends beyond physical infrastructure to include training, protocol application, and social reintegration programs for inmates. The reform aims to improve living conditions and prevent prisons from functioning as ‘schools of crime.’

Currently, Bolivia faces significant challenges within its penal system, including a national overcrowding rate exceeding 105%. Specific facilities, such as the San Pablo de Quillacollo prison, report overcrowding levels as high as 513%.